Apparatus for conveying loose materials



Feb 28, 1950 A. D. SIN DEN APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING LOOSE MATERIALS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 20, 1947 Feb. 28, 1950 A. D. SINDEN APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING LODSE MATERIALS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 20, 1947 Feb. 28, 1950 A. D. SINDEN 2,499,171

APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING LOOSE MATERIALS Filed Dec. 20, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Feb. 28, 1950 APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING LOOSE MATERIALS Alfred D. Sindcn,

Aurora,

111., assignor to Stephens-Adamson Mfg. 00., a corporation of Illinois Application December 20, 1947, Serial No. 792,936

3 Claims. I l

The principal object of this invention is to convey loose, discrete material in a substantially continuous, wavy stream along a trough or table with little power.

Generally speaking, this is accomplished by suspending the trough or table to swing from overhead axes, and oscillating it back and forth at a speed that will project material upwardly and forwardly from it on the forward stroke, and will return the trough or table and bring it downwardly and forwardly substantially coincident with the forward and downward movement of the material projected from it on the next preceding forward stroke.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the trough or table and its driving means;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2' of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are diagrams of the motion of the apparatus; and

Figs. 6, '7, and 8 are diagrams of the motion in successive intervals of /36 of a revolution of the driving eccentric.

In the diagrams Figs. 1 and 2, the supporting brackets in and I I are equipped with upper shafts i2 and I3, which support links [4 and I5, and they, in turn, support shafts l6 and I1 equipped with brackets l8 and I9 secured to the trough or table in any suitable manner. From this, it will be clear that the trough or table is mounted. to swing back and forth through any desired amplitude.

The trough is oscillated by a driven shaft 2| having an eccentri 22 cooperating with an eccentric strap 23 adjustably connected at 24 with a connecting rod 25 pivoted at 26 to a bracket 21 secured to the trough or table between the supporting shafts l6 and l'l.

Assuming the shaft 2| to be driven in any suitable manner through sprocket 28, or otherwise, the motion of the trough or table and a particle 29 is illustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. In Fig. 3, the solid lines show the position of the table and the particle 29 when the supporting links M and I 5 are in the vertical position, and in dotted lines they are shown in the position they assume as the table approaches 45 degrees forward stroke.

In Fig. 4, the solid lines show the parts in the position they assume at the end of a 45 degree forward stroke, and the dotted lines show the parts in the position they assume as the links 2 l4 and I5 reach 30 degrees rearward of the vertical.

Fig. 5 shows the position of the parts when the links M and I5 have returned to the position 30 degrees back of the vertical, and the dotted lines show the position the parts assume when the links return to vertical.

From these diagrams, it will be apparent that the material and the table move together during most of the forward stroke. Near the end of that stroke, the trough is slowing down due to the peculiarities of the eccentric while the matcrial continues by its momentum, leaving the trough and following its normal trajectory. During the free flight of the material, the trough comes to rest in its forward motion, returns, and again starts forward. By this time, the material is in the downward portion of its trajectory, and overtakes the trough at a point where both material and trough are travelling in about the same direction at nearly the same speed, whereupon the cycle is repeated. There is little impact as the material and trough come together, and there is practically no sliding friction to cause loss of power.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic scale lay-out of the motion, and represents a compromise between extremes of speed and amplitude of motion.

The effective length of the supporting links M and I5 is shown as 1% inches. The swing is 45 degrees forward and 30 degrees backward of the vertical, and the speed is 364 cycles per minute with a radius of eccentric or crank of 1.05 inches.

The half circle at the top of the diagram, having a diameter of 2.10 inches, represents one-half revolution of the eccentric. The complete revolution is divided into 36 equal intervals of 10 degrees each, numbered consecutively from 1 to 36, starting at the bottom. Points on the circle being projected to the arc, which represents motion of the conveyor trough, locate points in the trough motion at every /36 revolution. These are numbered to correspond with the intervals in the motion of the eccentric. The time for each interval is:

1 mx .00458 sec.

Horizontal lines are drawn through the points on the arc, and the vertical distance between lines represents the vertical component of the trough movement during each interval. It will be seen that the vertical components, starting with interval number I, are increasing in amount,

uptointerval number 6. The vertical componentv in interval number I shows a decrease, and this trend continues up to the reversal of motion at the end of interval number 9.

Up to the end of interval 6, material resting on the trough is forced to move with the trough, but when the rate of movement starts to decrease, as; in". interval 1;. the momentum; of. the; material causes-itwto leave thetroughand travel; in a trajectory under the action of its inertia and gravity. Due to the inertia of a particle of ma? terial, it tends to continue in the. directionand. at the speed which is obtained during interval". 6, but at the same time it drops at an acceleratiing rate the same as any fallingsbodyt.

In Fig. 6, a tangent to the-arcat'theend of interval 6 is drawn upward, and lengths equal to interval 6 are marked off a1ong it,. and numbered. to correspond with the succeeding intervals. The end of each space is then the point which the particle of material, except for the action of gravity, would have reached at the; end of: designated interval. Vertical lines are drawn; through each point on the. slope. and aplengthz is laidoff downward equaltothezdistanceztlie pan-- ticle would fall in the time. elapsed after; the: end: of interval 6.

For instance, at the end of. interval; I: the: elapsedtime-is .00458second. Usingthez-equation for falling bodies, S= g. -t where.S'=distance: in'fe'et, g=acceleration of gravity=32i2iitz persecz. per sec., and t'=time in seconds; the.. distances fallen in .00458 second is .000338.: foot; 012300406; inch. The calculated distances of falli for suba sequent intervals are given': initheifollowingtablezz The points: determined by laying: oi? the. dis1ttances offall are points on tihEitIffljfiCtOI'EOfithG; particle during its free flight: after; leaving; the. trough at the end of intervalfi'. It willlibe; seen: that the top of the trajectory-:is:reachedgat.abouti the-end of interval: IT; Meanwhile:the trouglrisl making its return stroke, and:v is: below; the: trajectory so that it'doesinot; interfere'withthe; motion of the material. After the particleipasses; the top of its trajectory and startsto move downward, it begins to overtake=the.trough. However, it does not actually overtake the trough until the end of. interval 28: Itis seen; from the-diagram that; at approximately the: endiof: interval 2.9; ,the; direction and sp-eed of" the-motionzofzthegparticlei most nearly correspond to :thezdi'rection andspeed: of'the trough; For that reason, the: speed ofarota. tion of the eccentric is determined-iso'ias to-achieve:

Gar:

material overtakes the trough at about the end of interval 29.

To determine the speed of rotation for an assumed combination of radius of arc and angular movement each side of vertical, a diagram is constructed similar to that in Fig. 6, but without the distances of. fall laid off; since these. are not yet known. horizontal line is drawn through the point on the are making the end of interval 29. By measuring, the vertical distance is determined between. the. end. of interval 29 on the arc, and theend of'interval' 29 on the sloping line. This is the distance of fall during the period of time from thelend-z of intervalli. to the end of interval 29, or

- the=time for '/-'ss of a revolution. The correct speed of rotationtoproduce the stated conditions maythenbecalculated.

For instance, in Fig. 6 the vertical distance between: the'ends of interval 29 on the arc and on the slope are measuredas 2.15". Solving for t inthe equatiomforrfalling bodies:

16:. 1.05.6. sec. =time.to. fall. 2. 15"

Time;fol:one revolution of eccentric:

.1O56X %a.='.l65

Revolutionsper-minute; 60 F 364:

Figs. 7. and1l8. are diagrams of. the. motion. of trough andmaterialfor othercomhinations of. arc radius. and. amplitude. In, Fig. 7', the angular. movement each sideof'verticalis the;same.as.in Fig. 6,,but. the. arc. radius=is,shorter.. The speed requiredlfor. correct. conveying. action is. thus. con? siderably higher.

In;Fig..8, thearcradius isthesameasiin Fig. 7; but the angular. movementeacli side. of vertical is increased; Thespeedlisloweredl as compared to. Fi'g. 7,,while the path of the materiaLismore tortuous and greater agitation in the stream of material would beexpected."

The. supporting links. 14 and I5. are provided with counter weights. 30 to balance theload on opposite sidesof the shafts l2"and' 13..

1. In. a: device of the class described, a. table, links suspending and guiding'the table foroscill'atory' movement along; an arcuate' path, and means: to' oscillate the table; back and forth a greater distance-forward from the vertical positionof'thelinks and a: lesser distance backward from the verticalposition' of the'llnks whereby at a predetermined speed of operation the'tablewill commence downward and forward'movement at a time when" that movementsubstantially' co' incides; in direction, with" the-trajectory of the material projectedfrom-the table on'a'previousforward and'upwardmovement;

2. In a device of the-class'd'escrihed; agenerally horizontal swinging table, linkssuspending' the table to swing about"axesthereabove; andmeans' to-oscill'ate the table back-andforth further forward from the vertical positionof the links than: backward from the-said" vertical whereby'at" a predetermined speed the t'ahl'e will swingto commence forward and downwardmovement from'its rearmost'position duringthe-timeof free fi'ight'ofi material projected from' iton the previousforward and upward movement.

3. In apparatus for conveying material in a substantially continuous wavy stream; a: conveyor: table; links suspending the table to: swing: fromi condition Shown. in the? diagram: wherezthei axes: thereab.ove,-.andzmeans: to: oscillate the saidtable back and forth further forward from the vertical positionof the links than its swing back-.

ward from the vertical position of the links at a;

speed that will bring the table downwardly and forwardly substantially coincident with the corresponding forward and downward movement of material projected from the table on the previous forward and upward swing and at a time when said material has {alien to a position substantially coincident with the surface of said table.

1 ALFRED D. SINDEN.

REFERENCES orrnn The followingreierences are of record in the file of this patent:

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